Updated: Oct. 9, 2009
Yohji Yamamoto's work is frequently characterized in terms of genius; his reputation is that of a master of late 20th century design. In the last three decades, his once radical ideas have excited colleagues as diverse as Junya Watanabe, Jun Takahashi and Martin Margiela.
His odd shapes and skewed proportions can turn up everywhere, thematically threaded through collections as unalike as those of Marc Jacobs and Miuccia Prada.
But it is not just the fashion cognoscenti who have felt Mr. Yamamoto's influence. With his Y-3 line of sportswear, produced with Adidas, he introduced new generations to his austere notions about how people look and move and understand themselves in clothes. Julie Gilhart, fashion director of Barneys New York, once said that he is ''probably the only designer you could name who has 60-year-olds who think he's incredible and 17-year-olds who think he's way cool.''